Making Transitions Work for You
Executive Coach Steve Buisson
The world is moving fast. Any part of our lives can change at any time. You may wake up tomorrow to an entirely different reality. A few years back, I had my world tilted on its side as the result of a corporate reorganization. I found myself in a daze and staring into what seemed like a life abyss. I was at a point in my life where I needed to hit the pause button and discern what I really wanted from life. I used a coach to help me navigate my transition.
Transition Makes its own Stage
The ending of one life stage to the beginning of the next one is not a straight path. Instead, they become bookends to a transition stage. This is a time of limbo, when you find yourself vacillating between the familiar and the strange, the heartbreak and the liberation, between faith and fear.
This limbo can serve as a time of self-reflection and recovery.
Putting Limbo to Use
The upside of limbo is that it can also usher in a profound need for purpose and meaning, and a commitment to discernment. Sara-Lawrence Lightfoot in her book The Third Chapter, says that even though there is a downside to each of our turning points, the time of limbo can be hopeful and productive.
Victor Frankl spoke of in his book Man's Search for Meaning, "If you know your why, you can overcome any how".
Recently I searched the most read blog categories, and the one consistently at the top is "self-improvement". People have an inherent need to grow and develop in ways that bring meaning and purpose to their lives. The yearning for "Why am I here" and "How can I live that purpose out in my life" is especially strong during transition.
Discernment Delivers
Back to that period of discernment I mentioned before. As I began to think about my next chapter, the need to confirm my “why” was unavoidable. I knew intuitively that to make this transition work for me, it would be my way through and out of the limbo I was experiencing. And with the help of my coach, it became just that.
As coaches, it is our job, honor and opportunity to provide a guided approach to personal discovery and discernment. We have the skills and training to walk with clients through some of the most difficult times of their lives and provide them with transformative tools and resources so they can enter their next chapter with purpose, clarity and confidence.
Steve Buisson provides experienced consulting, executive coaching and transition guidance to help high performing leaders balance purpose, profits and people as they grow their businesses.